When Felicity Met Lois
by anthfan
Summary: What happens when Lois Lane meets Felicity Smoak? Short one shot exploring this encounter. Smallville universe. Olicity


**A/N: Could not begin to tell you where this came from other than I had the thought of, 'What if Felicity Smoak met Lois Lane?' And this fic was born. I love it. It was a blast to write, and I wish this was something I could see happen on the screen. Hope you enjoy it! **

**Timeline: 6 months post Arrow season 1 finale, follows canon. 3-4 years post Smallville season 10 finale. (A/U Smallville where Oliver Queen hadn't been introduced)**

When Felicity arrived at the club that Saturday morning she hadn't expected to find Oliver and Digg already there, deep in conversation with two people she'd never laid eyes on before.

However, as soon as her eyes cut over the imposing figure of a man in front of her she knew who he was. Oliver had said there would be 'representatives' from Metropolis coming to inquire about broadening their services. He didn't mention that Superman himself would be making the trip.

The woman at his side was familiar, but Felicity couldn't place her just then. She got the distinct impression however, that in the two seconds since she'd entered the basement this stranger had sized her up, and probably done a decent job at it.

The tension in the room was thick. She didn't know what she'd walked in on, but Oliver and Superman were glowering at each other.

"Ah, sorry for interrupting..." Felicity started. Oliver crossed over to her with half a smile, trying to act like everything was fine. She laid her bag next to her computers and slid her jacket off her shoulders. Oliver's hand skimmed across her back and guided her forward a few steps.

"Felicity, this is Clark Kent and Lois Lane from Metropolis." she nodded politely, "This is Felicity Smoak my IT support."

"And general handler," Felicity added, reaching her hand out to shake theirs.

"So, you're here to drag Oliver into your little superhero club, right?" she said directly,

Clark's eyebrows rose into his hairline and Oliver fake coughed to cover his surprise.

"What? Is this supposed to be a secret?" she asked in all seriousness, it didn't take a genius to look at Clark Kent, look at a picture of Superman and put two and two together. But by the expressions on everyone's face that is exactly what it was supposed to be.

"Wait, so you were going to team up with the Hood here, which by default meant I would be providing eyes and ears support and I wasn't supposed to know who I was working with? Really?" she was incredulous that they could be that dense. She was mostly pissed at Oliver.

However, Oliver turned a knowing smirk on Clark and crossed his arms. "I told you she was good."

Clark ran a rough hand through his dark hair and sighed heavily. Lois laid a hand on his arm, "It's not like she doesn't have experience in the hero business. We could use another techie since Chloe left."

Felicity felt like somehow she'd done something wrong, "I'm sorry, it's just...glasses, really?" she gestured at her own face, "I'm pretty familiar with how different a person can look with glasses, but they don't look _that_ different."

"He didn't even have the glasses until relatively recently." Lois provided, and Clark looked at her like she'd betrayed him.

Now that Felicity had more than broken the ice the conversation made it's way back to what they had been discussing when she'd walked in. There seemed to be a fundamental disconnect between the ways Oliver and Clark each approached how they dealt out justice.

Felicity was, of course, on Oliver's side, but she had to admit the moral high ground went to Clark. If pushed, she'd have to say she sided with his approach more than Oliver's. However, she'd been around Oliver long enough to see how he was changing and that there were often grey areas. Clark seemed to only operate in realms of black and white.

The talk turned heated, with the two men actually beginning to circle each other at one point. Digg finally stepped in and got them to back off some.

Anytime Felicity or even Lois tried to add their opinion they were either ignored, or dismissed, and Felicity could tell it was wearing on her new acquaintance.

Lois had finally had enough. She stalked to where the three men stood. Her arms were crossed and one hip was popped in a clearly agitated stance. She waited until all eyes were on her before she spoke.

"All this 'grr' talk is great and all, but I'm thinking there's just a little too much testosterone in the room for us, so how about Felicity and I go grab a little afternoon pick me up, and you boys keep peeing circles everywhere. Kay?" Lois leveled Clark with a glare that actually made the man look slightly afraid, turned the same look on Oliver and Digg and grasped Felicity by the elbow before she could utter a word.

They hadn't gone three steps when Oliver's voice rang across the space, "If you don't mind, Ms. Lane, Felicity is part of my team." he had somehow smoothly positioned himself between Felicity and Lois. His hand hovered over Felicity's lower back and she had a hard time suppressing a shiver.

"If it's just the same with you, I'd like to go with Lois." Felicity said cooly and stepped deliberately away from him, turning when she was once again next to Lois. There was a flicker of something in Oliver's eyes. She almost missed the subtle twitch of his mouth.

"Well, far be it from me to keep the ladies from their tea." he was being deliberately acerbic and now it was her turn to give him a look which she held as long as she dared before she exited the basement with as much control and poise as she could muster.

Lois was quiet until they reached the street. "He always like that?"

Felicity let out a derisive snort, "You have no idea. How about Clark?"

"Amazingly no, except when a new hero pops up, and then he has to puff out his chest and mark his territory. It gets old." she admitted.

They rode to a nicer part of town in Felicity's car, making small talk about the city, and very deliberately avoiding the topic that they were both highly involved in the superhero world.

The coffee shop Felicity normally stopped at every morning was practically empty, and soon enough they were in her favorite booth sipping the rich, flavorful liquid they both clearly craved.

The small talk continued. Every now and then they'd stray into something more serious. Lois was well versed in what Malcolm Merlyn had done to the city six months earlier. "I know my way around delusional, psychotic billionaires, unfortunately." she said with a wince, "They either seem like they're bent on total destruction or saving the world. No middle ground with those guys."

Felicity hummed her agreement. This stranger from Metropolis was one of the most forward people she'd ever met. She liked her.

They fell into another silence, this one not so awkward. Felicity found herself people watching out the window, and when she turned back, she was caught in Lois Lane's unwavering gaze.

Lois studied Felicity over the rim of her coffee cup. Her look was inscrutable and heavy, and Felicity felt like a bug under a magnifying glass. "Let me guess. High school sweetheart, can't get her out of his system, and she keeps popping up just when you think you might have a chance." There was a long pause, "Am I close?"

Felicity gulped down the rest of her latte and sat the empty cup on the table with a shaky hand, "That's pretty much it exactly." she had no idea she'd been that transparent.

The look Lois gave her was one of complete understanding, and in that moment they knew each other. "Yeah, they're idiots like that." She sighed dramatically and dug in her wallet before she plunked down a couple of ones for a tip. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

Felicity stood automatically and fell into step behind the fast moving brunette. "Where are we going?"

"Trust me, if we're going to have the Lois Lane 'Guide to dating a superhero' talk, we need something stronger. Much stronger." Lois said over her shoulder as she pushed out the door into the bright afternoon sun. She slid her sunglasses over her eyes, and turned to Felicity. "Know a place?"

Felicity didn't hesitate. She felt a pull of her lips, "Oh do I."

Verdant was technically closed, but Felicity had a key, and she knew Oliver wouldn't care if they helped themselves. The guys might still be in the basement, but she didn't feel like announcing their presence.

"Pick your poison." Felicity directed, and nodded her head towards the glass shelves where the liquor was kept. She grabbed a bucket of ice, and two highballs before leading Lois to a table in the far corner.

The bottle of whisky was already half empty, and the reporter from Metropolis wasted no time in fixing both of them a drink.

"So, what's her name?" Lois asked as she swirled the ice in her glass and took a hefty swallow.

"Laurel Lance," Felicity replied and managed to say the name without a trace of bitterness.

Lois wrinkled her nose, "What is with the double 'L's? I mean, not that I have much room to talk," she said, and gestured to herself, "But really? Those initials seem to run rampant through our little world."

"Who was your double L?" Felicity asked

Lois took another mouthful before she answered, "Lana Lang. Cheerleader, girl next door, literally. Homecoming queen, gorgeous, whole nine yards. Clark had been in love with her since he knew what hormones were." Lois however, hadn't kept the contempt out of her tone. "I know it shouldn't matter now, but...my man was a world class idiot when it came to that girl, and I had to sit back and witness most of it."

Felicity nodded in understanding, "Yeah, I'm relatively new to the scene, but...idiot works. And there was a sister too so..."

Lois's eyes widened, "A sister? So the rumors are true then. Oliver Queen is a bad boy."

Felicity winced, "Was. He's not that man anymore, but he still has to put up the front so..."

"So you have to stand back and not only watch him moon over his lost love, but also hook up with every two bit socialite in Starling City to protect his cover." Lois observed and poured Felicity another glass before she could protest.

She couldn't answer so she just nodded and took a long swig, trying not to show how much it burned going down.

"Billionaires by day, heros by night." Lois sighed, "Yeah, we're familiar with that one too. You guys been to Gotham recently?"

At Felicity's quizzical look she waved a hand dismissively, "I'm sure you'll hear about it soon enough, it's something Clark's working on."

"So, how'd you two meet?" Felicity said quickly, wanting to take the attention off of herself for a bit.

Lois smiled wryly at the memory, "Found him naked in a cornfield."

Felicity just cocked her head to the side and gave her look over the top of her glasses.

"I swear! Took me years to figure out about..." she made a flying motion with her hand, "Then it took a bit longer before he told me himself." the accompanying eyeroll led Felicity to believe this was a long suffered bone of contention with the couple.

"What about you?" Lois asked, "How'd you find out?"

Felicity gave a small smile of her own, "Found him shot, in his disguise, in the backseat of my car."

Lois lifted an eyebrow in admiration and leaned across the table to clink her glass with Felicity's. "Cheers,"

They enjoyed their drinks in silence for a long moment.

"When did you fall in love with him?" Lois's voice broke the quiet and Felicity almost choked on her drink.

"Your secret's safe, don't worry." Lois assured her

"Am I that obvious?" she asked resignedly

"Only to another woman."

"Great, so Laurel probably knows." Felicity let her head hang back against the chair and shut her eyes. She'd had enough to drink that the room was pleasantly spinning.

Lois shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. But I've got eyes, I saw how he acted with you. Mr. Tall Built and Brawny definitely has feelings that are not strictly professional."

Felicity gaped at her, "No offense, but you're delusional. There is no way Oliver..."

Lois chuckled softly, "The lady doth protest too much."

She let out a long resigned sigh, "I just wish I knew. I feel like an idiot half the time. But I can't change the way I feel, you know. And then sometimes I catch him staring at me and I wonder..."

"Oh, it's there. Don't worry. He's just got to get out his own stupid head first." Lois stated as if it were fact.

"I hope you're right." Felicity said sadly, and then flushed, worried she'd said too much.

Lois was kind enough to drop this line of discussion. They moved on to some of her and Clark's more interesting stories which had the IT girl laughing, gasping, and wincing in all the right places.

By the time the men realized they hadn't been alone in the building after all, the bottle was empty, Felicity had long lost her pony tail, and even the famous Lane constitution was beginning to take a hit.

"Lois..." Clark drawled out from the darkness, his tone long suffering. Lois, clamped a hand over her mouth and giggled before she turned to Felicity.

"Shhhhhh, I'm in trouble." she said in a not so quiet stage whisper. Felicity laughed loudly, and mirrored Lois's action by covering her own mouth as well.

Oliver couldn't hide his surprise when he laid eyes on them.

Lois finished her drink with a flourish and slammed the glass back on the table before she hopped out of her chair and stalked across the dance floor towards them.

"Queen, with me." she demanded as she snatched him by the arm and took him back the way he had come.

"Lois, no!" Felicity cried out to no avail and turned desperate eyes to Digg who just shook his head lightly.

"Don't worry, 'Lis, I got this." Lois called back, and Felicity slumped in her seat defeated. The room was more than spinning now. The stray though that she'd had too much to drink went through her head, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She couldn't even begin to think about what Lois could possibly be saying to Oliver; she didn't think she wanted to know.

Clark just stood there with his hands in his pockets and gave her a tight lipped smile that just said 'It's Lois, what are you going to do?'.

Felicity decided she needed to take a page out of Lois's book and went after them. Her journey from chair to floor was less than graceful, and she tottered on her heels for a few steps, causing Digg to reach an arm out to catch her if she fell. She brushed him off impatiently, and headed into the back area behind the bar.

Felicity stumbled into the swinging door and caused it to slam loudly into the wall behind it. What she saw made her gasp out loud.

Lois had Oliver Queen, the Hood himself, trapped against the deep freezer. Her finger poked into his chest to emphasize every point she was making.

The back kitchen of Verdant proved to be difficult to navigate in her current state, and Felicity found herself using the counters as leverage when she wasn't bouncing off of them.

"Lois..." she began warily, and then had to concentrate extra hard as she stepped onto the slick tiled floor. Her head swam, and if she didn't have the threat of complete and utter humiliation lying before her she'd like nothing more than to go lay down.

When she looked up again, Lois had stepped back from Oliver who looked both bemused and slightly annoyed.

"I told you not to worry, Ollie and I were just having a friendly little chat." Lois said soothingly, and it only made Felicity more worried.

It had seemed anything but friendly, and Felicity was mortified to feel tears prick her vision at the thought of what Lois had said to him. Felicity knew how she felt, she also knew he didn't reciprocate those feelings, and may never reciprocate them. She'd managed to keep things close to the vest all this time without it affecting anything, but if it was out there she didn't know how she'd be able to look him in the eye again.

To her surprise it was actually Oliver who made her feel better. He stepped towards her, hands up in mock surrender. "I promise, Lois just wanted to make sure I knew how lucky I was to have you." her breath caught in her throat as she studied his face.

She knew his tells. She knew fake, playboy Oliver, and paparazzi Oliver, she knew the Oliver his family got to see, she even knew there was an Oliver that was saved for Laurel. But it was only herself and Digg who got to see the real Oliver. The look she was getting right now was open and honest, and didn't betray anything that he shouldn't know about yet.

Her shoulders relaxed visibly and she leaned back against the nearest wall, part in relief, and part out of necessity.

"See, told you." Lois said with a smug grin, and then rolled her eyes as Clark bellowed from the still open door. "Coming dear!" she called back, "He's lost without me." she stated, and then looked pointedly between Oliver and Felicity.

Felicity tried to send her the best glare she had, but it made her head woozy and she felt herself losing her balance. Her hand swiped uselessly for something to grab onto and she shut her eyes tight at the inevitable fall.

But instead of the hard ground rushing up to meet her, she was caught around the waist by Oliver. "Whoa now, I'm not sure drinking half a bottle of booze at three in the afternoon was the best way to bond with your new friend."

Felicity leaned heavily into his chest, he was supporting most of her weight, and as much as she knew she should push away and stand up on her own she was quite happy to stay where she was.

"I like her. She's fun." Felicity declared. Oliver's soft laugher underneath her and his warm breath coasting across her ear was doing nothing to encourage her to move.

"Fun's one word for her." Oliver said sardonically,

She pushed ineffectually at his chest, "Sorry, boss." she said sarcastically

"I'm not your boss, Felicity." he said after a pause. The tone of his voice was what finally made her attempt to stand up straight.

His eyes had darkened, and she saw that look, the one he got sometimes that she tried so hard to ignore.

"Oliver..." she said slowly, and made the mistake of trying to step back. Her heel caught in one of the rubber mats, and once again she felt herself beginning to fall.

This time he scooped her up, one hand behind her back, the other under her legs. "Why don't we just do this the easy way and take out the middleman of you trying to walk."

Felicity didn't know if it was the alcohol or the closeness of Oliver that made her head spin. She lay her head on his shoulder and mumbled her agreement.

She kept her eyes shut tight as he walked easily through the kitchen and back into the main area of the club.

Digg's low chuckle was her first indication that their visitors hadn't left yet. She was never going to live this down.

"Lightweight, huh?" Digg observed

"Leave the girl alone, big guy." Lois demanded and Felicity peeked open one eye to see the reporter using Clark for support, but giving her a big thumbs up as Oliver passed in front of them.

"I'm just going to put her in my office to sleep this off." Oliver stated, although he didn't slow down as he spoke.

Oliver's office overlooked the dance floor, it was soundproof and had an extremely comfortable couch she'd napped on a few times they'd pulled late nights.

He lowered her carefully, and draped the blanket that had been folded on the back over her.

"Thanks," she slurred quietly and snuggled into the couch.

She thought he had left until a hand brushed hair from her face. Her eyes flew open to see Oliver crouched in front of her, studying her closely.

"I'm sorry if you think I take you for granted." his voice was strained, "I couldn't do this...any of this without you."

She couldn't drag her eyes from his, but she also couldn't come up with any sort of response.

"Sweet dreams." he said quietly and coasted a hand over her head one more time before he was gone.

The room still spun. As she settled back into the couch she wondered if she'd just imagined what had happened or if it had been real. But she knew one thing for sure.

They were going to need to invite Lois to Starling City a little more often.


End file.
